×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Material Recycling Center - Tipping Area - Extra Hazard 2 or Solid Pile Storage?

Material Recycling Center - Tipping Area - Extra Hazard 2 or Solid Pile Storage?

Material Recycling Center - Tipping Area - Extra Hazard 2 or Solid Pile Storage?

(OP)
Hi,

We are working on a design-build project for an existing recycling facility that has a tipping area with a ceiling height of 39'-0". The existing sprinkler system in-place which is rotted out was designed as solid-pile plastics to 5'-0" max storage height (0.2GPM/sq.ft over 1950sq.ft). The new sprinkler system will be a dry system.

Should the tipping area be designed for an Extra Hazard Group II occupancy (plastics processing) or as solid-pile storage of Group A Plastics? The product is driven into the area in trucks, dumped, and then moved with a front-end loader to a conveyor system for processing. The product is transient and on average for majority of the year is contained to less than 5'-0" high. However, during processing equipment breakdowns and holidays the product can be piled up to 10'-0".

If it is considered solid-pile the building height exceeds the limits of NFPA 13 max building height of 35'-0" for conventional sprinklers. CMSA and ESFR sprinklers are not an option as the new system is a dry system.

Any input into this would be appreciated.

Thanks


RE: Material Recycling Center - Tipping Area - Extra Hazard 2 or Solid Pile Storage?

Extra haz Grp 2 as noted below.... Shielding of combustibles.

HOWEVER we had one of these facilities in our run area and would go to it often. The only way to put the fire out was to pull the garbage out and hose it down. The fire is so deep seated the water does not get to what is burning. The first fire we had at the site we poured 1000's of GPM on the fire and was on site for many hours. It was not until we pulled it apart we could put it out. After that we did not bother to put water on the fire until they started pulling the garbage out for us.

The sprinkler is really just protecting the building structure from metal failure.

Extra Hazard (Group 2). Extra hazard (Group 2) occu- pancies shall be defined as occupancies or portions of other occupancies with moderate to substantial amounts of flam- mable or combustible liquids or occupancies where shielding of combustibles is extensive.

RE: Material Recycling Center - Tipping Area - Extra Hazard 2 or Solid Pile Storage?

As usual, LCREP is correct. These are definitely control type systems. The extinguishment is by responding FD. Those fires are often nasty and can burn for long periods.

Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC
www.mfpdesign.com
"Follow" us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/MFP-Design-LLC/9221...

RE: Material Recycling Center - Tipping Area - Extra Hazard 2 or Solid Pile Storage?


As usual, LCREP is correct. These are definitely control type systems. The extinguishment is by responding FD. Those fires are often nasty and can burn for long periods.


Thanks Travis

RE: Material Recycling Center - Tipping Area - Extra Hazard 2 or Solid Pile Storage?

(OP)
Thanks for the input.

We weren't comfortable with the original classification of OH2 for the area.

EH2 it is.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources